Topical Tropes

These are what we call the 'YMMV items.' Things that some people find in this work. We call them 'your mileage might vary' because not everyone sees these things in the same way. This starts discussions in the trope lists, a thing we don't want. Please use the discussion page if you'd like to discuss any of these items.

Author's Saving Throw: The ending to Whistleblower is this for fans who disliked the ending of the original game.

Broken Base: The ending's becoming quite controversial, especially on YouTube. Some were disappointed with it because Miles suffered through so much and players put so much effort into escaping the asylum, only to get anticlimactically shot to death, thus rendering everything pointless. Others enjoyed the fact that Miles didn't make it out alive because they expected it, and it fit the tone of the game. The same people also liked that the Walrider wasn't stopped, since it could lead to a possible sequel.

And then the DLC came out and retconned Miles' death, or at least revealed it was a Disney Death, if his survival was intended all along.

There's some debate over whether or not Outlast 2 should include the ability to fight. Detractors claim adding one would take away from Outlast's unique method of play as well as the atmosphere of helplessness, while supporters argue it would make gameplay less frustrating (and would combat the Fridge Logic of why Miles or Waylon don't at least attempt to salvage some sort of weapon from their surroundings)

While respected by many for the fairly realistic and respectful depiction of mental health and various issues, there are still those that think the mentally ill get a bad break and shouldn't be used for scares.

After getting chased and thrown around by Chris Walker throughout most of the game, it's arguably satisfying to see him get thrown around like a ragdoll by the Walrider before being pureed through an airduct fan.

Similarly, the same thing happening to Blaire in the end of Whistleblower, especially after he had deliberately screwed you over so many times now, along with all the other atrocities committed under his watch.

There's also Eddie getting impaled on a metal pipe after attempting to kill/mutilate you

Critical Dissonance: Downplayed. Whilst critics have been giving Outlast good to average reviews, it is received more favorably by players.

After being chased by the crazed Dr. Trager for a level, Miles kills him by pulling him partway into a descending elevator, crushing him. If you pull out your camcorder to record it, Miles' note is remarkably laconic: "How to make Trager juice. Step 1: squeeze."

Father Martin's death is pretty disturbing, to say the least. However, if you record it, Miles' note regarding the situation is a hysterical case of Mood Whiplash: "I can't believe Father Martin one-upped Jesus Christ himself in shitty ways to die."

Gluskin. The guy captures other inmates and severs their private parts. Why? To make them pass as women. Make of that what you will. For many, it crosses back over when we get to see his "process". Legs hurt yet?

Fridge Logic: Pointed out in the Two Saiyans Play Let's Plays, the reporter has no gun or taser to protect himself from the patients. He doesn't even have backup. Or a flashlight. Granted all the e-mail said was that there were some twisted and illegal experiments happening at the facility, but he was already prepared to break into the building and all he took with him was a video camera and a phone that he even notes in his journal is being jammed.

And in Whistle-Blower, where did Eddie obtain and/or cobble together those wedding dresses in such a short time-frame?

Well, there's what appears to be the remnants of a sweatshop near where Eddie set up his...lair, what with all of the endless rows of sewing machines. He probably "borrowed" scraps of cloth and whatever else was left behind.

Fridge Horror: There's a women's ward and reports to be found on female patients, but... where are the women?

A document found in Whistleblower reveals that the Walrider began targeting them specifically when it first went rogue, and the vast majority of them were moved to another facility.

In WhistleblowerTrager's corpse is found fairly close by to where Gluskin hangs his victims. This means that if Miles went a specific direction after killing Trager in the original game, he could have easily ran into Gluskin.

Park is forcibly committed at the beginning of Whistleblower for his... well, whistleblowing. How many others in Mount Massive were committed and abused due to being enemies of Murkoff?

Genius Bonus: The painting in Wernicke's cell is Prometheus. Like Wernicke he brought forbidden knowledge to humanity and was punished with imprisonment.

Ironically the major tension in the game is the lack of sounds many of the inmates make. It's not unusual to be exploring a room, especially in the dark, and to notice close behind you a hostile enemy suddenly patrolling the area.

This isn't helped by the fact that Miles' ragged breathing tends to overpower most outside noise.

Frank wields an electric saw which he gratuitously revs up while stalking you. The sound it makes is sure to catch a few players off guard at least once.

Eddie sometimes sings or hums while he stalks you.

Jerkass Woobie: Documents reveal that Chris Walker is a former military police officer who's likely suffering from PTSD. A document from later in the game reveals that he's actually trying to contain the Walrider by killing everyone he sees, hence why he keeps chasing you. Miles lampshades this after the Walrider tears Walker apart in front of him.

Gluskin. There's no excusing whathe'sdone, but his backstory of being sexually abused by his father and uncle does give him sympathy points.

The Variants as a whole. Apart from Gluskin (who was a Serial Killer to begin with) all of them were simply mentally ill individuals who were twisted into murderous beings as a result of Murkoff's inhumane experiments. A number of them won't even bother attacking you, preferring to simply curl up in a corner or against a wall cowering.

Misaimed Fandom: Just search the Outlast tag on Tumblr. There's an entire group of people who seem to miss the point of the game; People who ship Eddie and Waylon, people who draw cute fan art for the game, and people who turn the crazed serial killers into misunderstood bishies. Gluskin is especially prone to the latter treatment, as some people tend to outright ignore the fact that he was a serial killer before he was subjected to the Morphogenic Engine.

Narm: Some feel that the highly detailed Facial Horror and Gorn are so over the top that it ruins the realism of the setting and makes some of the inmates almost cartoony.

The doctor who licks Waylon's face at the beginning of Whistleblower evokes this.

Whistleblower as a whole has very rape-y overtones. In addition to the above examples, the inmate who lets Waylon out calls him a "pretty flower" and promises to "make him purr", and Frank Manera's dialogue has creepy, suggestive connotations ("Gorgeous. Just the smell!") Waylon even describes Manera as looking at him with a hint of "desire"

One-Scene Wonder: While plenty of inmates only show up briefly, the pyro inmate probably embodies this trope the best. He seems relatively composed, and his dialogue is a massive Tear Jerker... only making it worse when he tries to kill you for putting out his fires.

Paranoia Fuel: Probably one of the scariest things about this game is that most of the inmates don't attack you, so you never know when one will attack you. It overall makes nowhere feel safe.

Squick: During the opening scenes of the Whistleblower DLC, you can hear two doctors discussing a patient's recent dreams/hallucinations during an Engine experiment. A few key phrases are highlighted by one as overarching themes in the dreams: Childhood memories, reptilian features, and sexual connotations.

Let's face it, the games run on this.

Uncanny Valley: When you enable the infrared vision on your camcorder, the inmates you encounter appear to have glowing eyes.

Viewer Gender Confusion: It's not uncommon for players to mistake Dennis for a woman initially, given his high-pitched voice.

The Woobie: Waylon. The man has been having suicidal thoughts throughout the DLC and has a wife and two kids, which makes Gluskin chasing him to force Waylon to be his "bride" a whole lot worse. And for his whistleblowing at the end, Waylon and those that are close to him will likely suffer the consequences.

Miles, too. He goes into the asylum hoping to bring justice to Murkoff, which he already knew was an immoral company, although not to what extent. Once inside he faces terrifying, gore-soaked scenes, is chased relentlessly by several inmates, and goes through insane amounts of pain - being thrown through windows, drugged and knocked unconscious, sliced by shears and beaten with pipes and fists, and so on. He is tortured by Trager, losing two of his fingers in the process, and has no supplies to help bandage the stumps. When it finally seems like he might get to leave, he's near-fatally attacked by the Walrider and ends up as its new host. Then he's shot multiple times in the chest! And unlike Waylon, he doesn't seem to have anyone he can use as anchors for mental support, so he ends up using dark humour and bitterness instead. At the very least, Whistleblower reveals that he manages to escape the asylum, although mutilated and possessed by an incredibly deadly, incomprehensible being.

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